Anise Biscotti

Recently, I attended an evening to celebrate a friend’s trip to Italy. It was her first solo trip and became a life changing experience for her. She asked her guests to bring an Italian appetizer or dessert to share. My contribution was biscotti.

I’ve shared biscotti recipes here before, both sweet and savory. For this party, I wanted to make a really authentic variety, which I discovered, as I researched, includes Anise, a licorice flavored spice. Since licorice is not everyone’s favorite flavor, the perfect amount of anise is critical to this recipe. I think I’ve found a good balance here. If you’re still skeptical, start with half the amount and add to taste.

Biscotti, by definition is a twice baked cookie. The batter is formed into two logs and baked for 25-30 minutes. After resting for a few minutes, the logs are sliced and the slices are baked again for 10 minutes, flipping the cookies midway. They’re really pretty easy, but for some reason people think they are difficult to make. I say keep ’em guessing! It reminds me of the old Rice Krispy treat commercial, where the mom sprinkles flour on herself to make it look like she’s been slaving in the kitchen. No one needs to know…..

Biscotti is wonderful with coffee, espresso or an after dinner liqueur. It’s also a great gift idea – I’ve been putting a few cookies and a package of cocoa mix in a cute bag, for a nice office gift for years!

btw- the dish in these photos is one I bought on my trip to Tuscany a few years ago. Stay tuned to a scrumptious life for a little reminiscing about that trip soon!

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Meet Val

Welcome to "a scrumptious life" !
Hi! My name is Val.
A business analyst by day, I love to cook and entertain. I'm a home cook with no formal training, except for local cooking classes, who's basically learned by trial and error. My motto is "keep it simple..... and delicious" (and not boring!)
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